Saturday, October 29, 2005

Another of the first communicants, Livia, asked the Pope why she should go to confession before going to Communion when she always commits the same sins. Pope Benedict XVI laughed when he heard the question.

"It's true, in general our sins are always the same, but we clean our house, our room, at least every week, although the dirt is always the same," he said.

Confession is necessary "only in the case of grave sin," he explained. "But it is very useful to go to confession regularly to cultivate cleanliness and beauty of soul, and to mature little by little in life."